10 Ways To Shape Your Career Around The Lifestyle You Want
Jul 10, 2017 · 4 min read

Before modern civilization, mankind roamed the earth as a nomadic species, hunting and gathering to protect their tribe. But with the beginning of consumerism, people spent a lot of time and energy paying for things they had already acquired, tethered by debt and daily 9-to-5 obligations.
The good news is that, today, digital technology makes it possible for us to return to our roots and roam more freely. Many jobs can be done outside the office and people can develop successful careers that fit in to the lifestyles they want to live.
Follow our 10 step guide to quitting the rat race:
- Plan in advance: Whilst you’re in your current job, examine your skills and think of your options. Research the destinations you would like to visit and work from, take stock of your commitments and develop an exit strategy.
- Select the right skills: Choose the best skills you think you can sell as a service by the hour, day or project. Research what people are looking for. On the most basic level there are jobs such as data entry, administrative assistance or transcription services. Or you could become a consultant in your area of expertise, or teach your native language.
- Test-run freelancing: It’s a good idea to take on a few jobs in your chosen freelance role to see if the work is as you expected before you take it on full time. Start networking and approaching businesses to advertise your skills — search for new opportunities and ways in which you might grow your business.
- De-junk your life: Digital nomads need to be as minimalist as possible — the less things you have the freer you are! Whilst preparing for your transition, make a list of your expenses and cut out the unnecessary splurges you can live without. Get used to living on a smaller income; when you are working remotely you will want to travel light. You will soon see that removing your attachment to material possessions makes space for the things you enjoy in life and can actually minimise stress and distraction.
- Be super organised and reliable: When you work for yourself you will become hyper-aware of your productivity peaks and troughs, it is important to take advantage of your most focused hours in the day. You have to be accountable for all the work you produce and you won’t have a boss hovering over your shoulder, reminding you of deadlines. Set up systems that work for you and help you to manage your client communications, finances and workflow. Bear in mind that you may be working from different time zones so you will need to be flexible and not constrain yourself to 9–5 hours.
- Research your ideal destinations: Travelling and working is a lot easier than you would think, there’s no reason to be apprehensive, the digital nomad experience will teach you to be more sociable and independent. Draw up a short list of the destinations you would like to visit and then research the safety, security and quality of life in each one. What will the cost of living be? How much would it cost you to rent an apartment? Will there be co-working spaces you can visit? Depending on the type of experience and budget you’re planning, any number of destinations from South America to Asia to Eastern Europe might work out for you, just make sure you’ve done the due diligence.
- Join a digital tribe: Start communicating with people who are already living the lifestyle you want. Their first-hand experience will prove invaluable and when you see they are making it work you will believe that you can too! There are digital nomad clusters and groups in large cities all over the world, tap into this thriving community by joining Facebook groups, listening to podcasts, reading blog posts and following organisations such as The Remote Nomad and Couch Surfing.
- Have a Plan B: Before cutting all ties, make sure you have saved up an emergency fund to last you a good few months in your home country, just in case the digital nomad lifestyle doesn’t work out for you and you would rather return and look for another permanent job. Things don’t always work out the way we envisage them so it’s good to have a Plan B.
- Be Persistent: Growing a business takes time, as does adjusting to a new lifestyle. Don’t expect opportunities to always fall into your lap. Like any job, working as a digital nomad takes smart, dedicated work over the months and years but if you keep at it, you can do it. Make sure you get client testimonials for the work you deliver; the better the quality the more likely you are to get recommendation.
- Take the leap and enjoy it! Once you’ve taken sensible steps to support your decision to become a digital nomad, it’s time to taste the freedom and build a new and sustainable way of life. Throw yourself into your new journey with energy and confidence, enjoy the space and fresh air and new ideas! Becoming a digital nomad can be a fulfilling and enriching experience and you will never know what it feels like until you try.
For more tips on freelancing, running your own business and all things remote work, check out InMyBag on Twitter and Facebook.

